Budget Truck Rental Reviews

I drove an adjustable bed only, no headboard or nightstands from Las Vegas to Vista California between 7:30 PM and what ended up being 2:00 AM in February due to a transmission that kept overheating. I was given a truck that prompted me 3 times on my drive that the transmission was overheating and to pull over and let idle to cool down. I should’ve been home by midnight and instead after pulling over 3 times it was almost 2:00 AM. Upon calling customer service, they had nothing to offer but an apology. It was my problem that I didn’t call Budget roadside assistance for help. I can’t imagine they’d have a timely solution at midnight in the middle of the desert between Las Vegas and Southern California. I’ll never use Budget truck rental ever again. They gave me a truck instead of a cargo van which is what I rented, the truck stunk and had no Bluetooth as well as was mechanically unfit for its purpose.

One of the worst moves I've ever had. The rental was scheduled for 10 am pickup. It didn't arrive until 1. The truck had been in a wreck, so it was dinged up and gas mileage was horrendous. I called to explain that I had men waiting for 2 1/2 hours due to their negligence, and they gave me a refund of $68 on an $800 truck rental. Will never use them again EVER!!!!

Worst in every aspect:

Consumer beware! Our family sold our CA home and relocating out of state. I reserved a truck for the day we were to move out. Reservation was made and confirmed weeks in advance (I have the confirmation/reservation number). On the morning of our move, I went to Budget to pick up our 26-foot box truck, but it was rented out. In fact, the entire fleet was rented out to AMAZON! The guy behind the desk said, oh it's Black Friday today and Amazon is our #1 customer, and they needed for trucks due to Black Friday. I said, but I have a reservation and I called early this week to confirm. We have to be out of our house at 5pm tonight so the new buyers can move in. I am a customer too! how can you help me? He said, and I quote; "I can't help you; Amazon took all of our trucks. They are a very important customer!" Suffice to say, we were run over by Budget! Never again!

Budget truck rental charged an additional $1253 to my 93 year old mom’s credit card after the contract amount was already paid. They claimed the truck was driven EXACTLY 2000 miles (not 2018 or 1958, but EXACTLY 2000) and charged for extra miles we didn’t drive (contract was for slightly over 900 miles). It’s around 900 miles from Camp Verde, AZ to Longmont, CO. In addition, two truck numbers were recorded in our records (we only received one truck). CROOKS! We’re still fighting for my 93 yr old mom’s $1253. Two weeks later we rented a Penske to make the same trip - easy peasy, no surprise charges.

My wife and I recently moved about 2,000 miles from Utah to South Carolina. We chose Budget Truck Rental because the price for a 26-foot truck was significantly lower than U-Haul or Penske. We quickly learned why Budget's price is so low: you get what you pay for, or in our case, less.

I had a confirmation for a cargo van one way rental. We drove an hour to pick it up and they didn't have it. I talked to a supervisor and he said there were none around anywhere. I called customer service and they couldn't do anything. It caused a lot of problems with my move. They offered $250 for another company. But no one rents them one way. So we ended up getting one that had to be returned 12 hours away. Double the gas, time, etc. When I called them they refused to give us the $250.00.

Be careful when you make a reservation with Budget truck rentals, they give you reservations and confirmations then email you the day before to tell you no truck is available anywhere in the area, the reservation was from Hagerstown Maryland to Florida, with someone flying up there to move someone back to Florida, so last second flight cancellations had to be made and another rental agency was hired.

Rented a 12 ft truck online and received my confirmation and a follow up reminder email. Received a text about 20 hours before my pickup time, simply saying - "Don't have what you reserved, good luck." This seems to be a running theme with Budget. They take the reservation - but they can't keep the reservation. If you are reading this: Don't risk using them. Should have read the reviews first. I didn't.

I made a reservation on Thursday for a Friday pick-up. I found a better price with U-Haul and canceled my reservation at 2 pm the same day. Friday morning I get a 150$ hold. When I have a cancellation email and confirmation number. I call, they give me BS that the system does that sometimes. After runaround, they reversed the 150 charge. This morning I look at my bank and they tried to charge me 150$ no show charge... How do I no show for a canceled reservation? This alone I will never go through Budget.

This has been one of the most awful moving situations I have ever been a part of. I reserved a 16 foot truck quoted at $106. When I arrive to pick up my truck rental, they told me that I had a 12 foot truck reservation and if I wanted a 16 foot truck, it would be $700. The guy inside told me there was nothing you can do about the price and recommended me calling the customer Budget service line. I took the 12 foot truck. I ended up having to make 4 to 5 extra trips in my car wasting about six extra hours of time. I called afterwards as when I picked up the truck. Customer service told me to call back after the reservation was completed to receive some sort of compensation. They offered me $10 back on a total of $143 transaction.

We were extremely frustrated with the condescending and rude manners of the person we spoke with this morning at the A1 Enterprises Inc. in Omaha, NE. We canceled and hung up when he remarked that I was talking over him while saying a truck wouldn't be ready until the afternoon anyway. This was 40min. before the pick up time and we were en route to pick it up. He told me most people would have called to check beforehand. I tried to tell him I received a confirmation email so felt no need to call prior to coming to get it. Not a good look for a company. We will never use again.

I went to pick up the truck and had to wait two hours because it wasn't there. I get it home and have the two guys load it to head out of state the next morning. I leave at 4am and break down 45 minutes later. I call Budget at 5 am at 7 am I get a text saying roadside will be there in 119 minutes. After 119 minutes I call the Company that supposed to be coming out and they tell me that it took Budget 2 hours to notify them. So now I am sitting at my house with a loaded truck no resolution to the problem. NOBODY HAS REACHED OUT!!! DO NOT USE BUDGET. THEY ARE HORRIBLE.

The ease of their website was the only positive thing I can say about this company. I had an upcoming move and was very happy to find a truck with a coupon code. So I reserved a truck with them. Price was reasonable and location wasn't far from me. But the day of the move I arrived to pick up my truck and was told they didn't have my truck available. I then asked if they had any size being I had to move today and I had paid movers coming soon. Again he told me no. I asked if there's any trucks in any other locations because again it wasn't a date I could change. Without even looking at the computer or trying to rectify my situation he just told me no. No sympathy, no I'm sorry just a shrug like this happens all the time.

I rented a Sprinter Van for a move from Western PA to Boston, MA. Rented the van 5 weeks in advance. Less than 24 hours prior to pickup, I received an email stating the following:

Reserved a cargo van 2 weeks before my move. They called me the day before to let me know it was unavailable, but that I could upgrade to a 12' box truck at the same price. They make it seem like they are doing you a favor, but I had to pay more for gas, bungee cords, rope, and moving supplies because everything had to be secured. Agent at pickup was completely sexist and addressed my father, instead of me. I rented the vehicle and paid for it. Agent at return would not help me with the issue and just suggested I call customer service. I went to Budget because I was on a budget. Extremely dissatisfied with the service. This was a glorified bait & switch.

Reserved a moving truck on 07/27/25 for 08/19/25. It was a 3 week advance notice. The day before they told us no truck was available. If we wanted to drive 3 hours round trip we could have a truck. I will not be using them again even if they offered me a free rental@.

I sought to rent a Budget Truck transport van from the Budget Truck office located at 1400 Cannon Road, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to transport the estate of my recently deceased brother from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Elmsford, New York. I had arranged for the rental to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, with a drop off on August 2, 2025. When I arrived at the pick-up site, the agent advised me that there were no vans available and that vans had not been available for months and that “corporate” should not list them on the website as available. The agent then gave me a 12-foot truck.

I rented a 16 ft Budget truck to move from Ocala, FL to Martinsburg, WV. 10 mins after filling the truck up in South Carolina as we merge back onto the highway the truck breaks down and wont accelerate above 40mph almost causing an 18 wheeler to crash into us. After several calls and long holds I finally got ahold of roadside assistance who couldnt give me an ETA on service. After an hour I got a text that it would be another 93 mins which turned into a wait of 4 hours. Then parts had to be approved, more waiting.. I was told Budget would pay for a room for us. They did not I had to pay, they said I would have a new truck the next day - after numerous calls that didnt happen. Then I was told Monday morning I would have a new truck, when I called at 9ish I was told I was a low priority and no one had been dispatched.

I am a disabled veteran (70% service-connected disability) and Budget Truck Rental has completely failed me. On August 1, 2025, I rented a Budget truck with a car trailer for a move. The trailer was defective from the start—the coupler was seized, and the jack was broken, making it impossible to disconnect or safely operate. For the past 3 days, I have been stuck with faulty equipment while being bounced between Roadside Assistance and Customer Service, with zero help or accountability from Budget.

Do not, do not, do not go with Budget Truck. I received my truck a day late, it was the wrong size and I needed to go another Budget Truck location after getting the truck an hour prior. A mechanic needed to come and put coolant in the system as well as put oil in the vehicle. The check engine light did not turn off the entire drive (around 180 miles). Furthermore, a sticker inside the truck stated it hadn't been inspected since May of 2022. Upon trying to get some compensation, I received $37 back on a $355 original cost. Save yourself the hassle, go with UHaul or Penske.

AVOID THIS COMPANY – PAY MORE ELSEWHERE AND SAVE YOUR SANITY. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it’s that Budget’s corporate structure is not designed to resolve customer disputes or stand behind their equipment. I typically rent from Enterprise, but because they don’t offer one-way box truck rentals, I chose Budget. That decision ended up costing me far more than I "saved."

I reserved a truck. Called to cancel. They refused to cancel my truck. FYI reservation is Aug 17, 2025. Today is July 31, 2025. When I asked to speak with supervisor he got quieter than a church mouse, not a peep. Then I called back. Someone else answered. Again I asked to speak with supervisor. This time supervisor just got on elevator. REALLY? I DON'T BELIEVE YOU & if you believe what was said then I have piece of ocean for sale in the Gulf.

Zero stars!!! Last night we hit a deer in our rental van at 10pm. When calling Budget, we were told to basically wait on the side of the highway for a representative and to call the police for a report. Police came and left but no representative. Called multiple times and then they agreed to tow us to the next town. Tow truck wasn't even ordered until after 1am and then we waiting until after 5am before one arrived to move us off the busy interstate after 7 hours of being stuck shaking the van with every vehicle passing worried about being hit and killed. Now we are stuck in a small town waiting for any sort of response at all as to when we will be getting a new truck with no ac or anything because it keeps overheating. This has been a 15 hour event and counting because they STILL can't give me an ETA for a truck. Budget does not seem to care at all and I do NOT recommend them at all in any way whatsoever after what they have put me and my family through.

Buyer beware! Do not rent from the facility at 340 Pelandale Rd in Modesto CA. I wish there would have been another option to rent a truck seeing all the bad reviews, but we didn't have a choice on our timeline. My husband went to pick up the truck which I rented online. He was having a conversation with the woman (I will withhold her name for now) saying how we had a quick turnaround to get everything done. She knew she had us. She told my husband that she could not rent him the vehicle unless he bought the full insurance package ($379) because he did not have a commercial license.

We rented a truck to move from Baltimore (Budget of Catonsville) to Pittsburgh (Ruffing Automotive Inc.) and had a very subpar experience. The pick-up process and the truck itself were ok, what you’d expect from a truck rental, but the return process and customer service were bad. We booked online directly from the Budget Truck website with a drop-off in Pittsburgh at Ruffing Automotive Inc. on a Sunday at 4pm. Surprised that the drop-off location didn’t mention the Budget brand anywhere online, we called Budget Truck the day before the scheduled drop-off to ask for clarifications about the self drop-off process in case Ruffing Automotive Inc. was closed on drop-off day.

I reserved a 16' Gas Parcel Van almost a month in advance for a two-state move. Twenty hours before pickup I was sent a text that the van was not available, and I could settle for a 12' van for $130 more than the larger one I reserved. When I questioned why I was told "that's all they had, and the price was what the computer said." Explaining that my furniture would not all fit in a 12' van and the price was higher did not concern the rental agent. It was basically, pay the price and take what we have available or not.

Do not trust Budget Truck Rental! I have rented Budget Truck about a month ago, as we need to complete a move within 2 days. They just called the day before in the afternoon, saying truck not available. They cannot do anything about it. This has put on tremendous trouble and we need to scramble through different options at the last moment. Horrible!

Budget are liars. They rent my reserved vehicle to someone else. Twice. And have now left me having to rent from somewhere else costing me 5100 dollars more for the rental. Their insulating offer for the the difference was 250 dollars. These scum should be shut down. Appalling handling of customers.

I reserved a truck over 10 days ago, only to be told within 20 hours left that they didn't have a truck. When I asked for options they just offered a customer service number and kept blaming 'it's just the end of the month'. Bruh, that's why I reserved it 10 DAYS AGO. Never again!!